Laboring for Health

 

Strikes, sit-downs, negotiations, wages, benefits. What could they possibly have to do with health? As it turns out, nearly everything. According to sociologist D r. David R. Williams, 90 percent of health factors are non-medical. Housing, immediate environment, and working conditions all have a huge impact. In fact, how you live during your waking and sleeping hours makes more difference to your health than what medicines you take or even what access you get to health care providers. And here is where labor unions come in.


For many unions, health and safety is a double-edged sword that pits public health against the threat of job loss...

Life expectancy began to rise dramatically in the latter half of the 19th century when communitywide public health measures were instituted. But the major breakthrough in health was the attainment of the eight-hour workday. Not only were people less overworked and better rested but they were able to attend to other matters that influenced health. And a rise in wages meant better and more food.

 

Little of this could have happened without the growth of labor unions.
Even where workers were not directly organized, the improvements that
unions sought often benefited other workers.

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